The ANZAC Garden
British Empire Building
British Empire Building, Rockefeller Center
When architect Raymond Hood drew up his plans for the Rockefeller Center complex in New York City, they included a number of sky-bridges which would connect the various buildings within the estate. Each bridge was designed to include a garden. Ralph Hancock and A.M Van den Hoek were engaged to design the gardens. When financial constraints eventually reined back the project only roof gardens on four lower-level buildings were completed. These gardens were in addition to the 3/4-acre “Gardens of the Nations” on the 11th floor of the Rockefeller Center, also designed by Hancock.
A.M Van den Hoek would design roof gardens for the Palazzo d’Italia and the International Building North, whilst Hancock would go on to design and install gardens on La Maison Francaise and its counterpart, The British Empire Building. These two buildings are divided by channel gardens, a planted pedestrian walkway. They are named after the English Channel, the body of water which separates England from France. The design of the channel gardens planting was also by Hancock.
La Maison Francaise and British Empire Buildings.
Designed by Raymond Hood in the Art Deco style, they were completed in 1933. The six story buildings are identical in basic design, with each having embellishments reflecting the nation they represent. A 7th floor “penthouse” opens up onto a 12,000 square foot garden.
The gardens are of a similar design. Both have a manicured lawn with a formal rectangular shallow pool. Both have flagstone paths and low walls of honey-coloured Cotswold stone. And, both have box hedging with flower beds. Beside each of the pools there are conical shaped hedges, and dwarf firs can be found within the raised beds which flank the water.
Unlike the Gardens of the Nations, on the 11th floor of the main building, the lower-level gardens have faired better and look today very much as they did nearly 90 years ago when they were laid out.
After their completion, Ralph continued to manage the Horticultural Halls on the eleventh floor. Visitors could purchase anything from bulbs to garden furniture. They hosted regular events for gardening clubs and Ralph gave talks about gardening techniques. But, he would eventually have a falling-out with the Rockefeller Center management over how the gardens should be maintained.
The Channel Gardens between France and Great Britain
He left the United States in December 1935 and returned to London. It was from here that he went on to design and plant Derry Gardens in 1938 - now simply called The Roof Gardens.
After Ralphs departure, A.M Va den Hoek took over as Director of the Horticultural Programme for the Rockefeller Center’s estate in 1938. He was also responsible for the planting of elm trees on Fifth Avenue.
Nola Luxford and the ANZAC Garden
Nola Luxford, born Adelaide Minola Pratt in Hunterville on 23rd December 1895, was a New Zealand-American actress in the Silent era of Hollywood.
Aged 24, “Nola” married returned serviceman Maurice Luxford on 12th August 1919. She soon discovered that her new husband was penniless and, combined with the shame of the divorce of her parents, she and Maurice borrowed money and set off for California.
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Life was very hard for the young couple. After years of abject poverty they divorced in April 1927. Two months later she married William Bauernschmidt, a member of a wealthy Brewing family from Baltimore.​
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​In 1934, William inherited $100,000 (approximately $2.3 million today) from his uncle. He and Nola built a house in Bel Air, Los Angeles. But, the marriage failed and they divorced in 1939. It took over 4 years to settled the terms of the divorce. Nola would eventually be awarded the house and $25,000 ($560,000)
Nola Luxford
the silent movie star
Earlier in 1925, thirty year old Nola met with the American author Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage). He became enamoured of his “Hollywood waif”. He admired her beauty, courage and virtue and secured her a part in the 1926 motion picture “Forlorn River”, based on one of his books. Grey would later claim that Nola was the inspiration for many of his fictional heroines. After declining Grey’s offer to accompany him on his second trip to New Zealand, their friendship ended.
Luxford, an accomplished actress, would go on to appear in over 50 movies. She is credited in 11 silent films, 5 talkies, 8 as the female lead and at least another 27 as an “extra”.
In the 1930’s she worked in movies alongside Katharine Hepburn, Basil Rathbone and Robert Montgomery. She was one of only a handful of actors able to make the transition from the silent era. She also starred in a Theatre group which toured the west coasts of both the United States and Canada.
Nola had, what has been described as an attractive speaking voice, and in 1932 she persuaded the executives at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) affiliated radio station, KFI Los Angeles, that she should commentate at the summer Olympic Games for New Zealanders and Australians.
For the 16 days of the Games she would broadcast an hour long report of the day’s events to the South Pacific. And at the end of each report Nola would sign off with “Goodnight Mother Dear”. Despite the initial concerns of the stations managers, over 50,000 letters and telegram were received praising her broadcasts.
Luxford would continue her affair with radio throughout the 1930’s with special broadcasts at Christmas, Easter and annually on Armistice Day. She became quite the celebrity and regularly featured in the Los Angeles society pages. Her success continued with a weekly column for the popular magazine the New Zealand Free Lance which ran for some 26 years.
Nineteen thirty nine saw Nola working for NBC as one of the first female network news announcers on the “Four Star News” which was broadcast from New York City. When England declared war with Germany on 3rd September, she was one of the first news announcers to tell the American people. Sadly her contract was cut short so Nola turned her efforts to war relief and fund-raising. She worked principally with the British American Ambulance Corps and raised tens of thousands of dollars by producing patriotic fabric designs and a recording of ballads with two leading stars of British theatre.
The badge of the BAAC
Ladies collecting funds for the
British American Ambulance Corps
ANZAC Garden
In 1940, Nola sought permission from the Rockefeller family to establish an ANZAC garden on top of the British Empire Building to commemorate the New Zealand and Australian war dead. With the blessing of the family, the garden was formally dedicated by New Zealand Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, in 1941 and memorial services have been held there ever since.
Selected newspaper reports from the period allude to the gardens containing native plants from both Australia and New Zealand, with a statue, designed by sculptor Ethel Painter Hood, of two figures symbolising youth and with a pool symbolising the pacific.
From photographs taken during the dedication service and subsequently, it’s very clear that the statue and the plants were not permanent fixtures, even though at least one newspaper report tells of Nola and Van den Hoek “planting a garden”. It’s very likely that tubs of native plants as well as the statue were simply placed within the Hancock designed garden and just for the services being held there. In later years, even the statue appears not to have been used.
The ANZAC
Garden Plaque
Remembering the Servicemen and Women
from Australia and New Zealand
The ANZAC Garden Plaque
Nola with the sculpture by Ethel Painter Hood
One constant feature within the garden is a plaque which reads:
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ANZAC GARDEN
A garden of friendship between Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Dedicated in 1940 to honor the fighting ANZAC’s of Two World Wars.
Plaque Presented Annual ANZAC Garden Ceremonies 1950.
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Below the main plaque another in the same style reads:
These gardens were originated in 1940
by Nola Luxford OBE OSO
Continuing her philanthropy, Nola established a club for the hundreds of young Australians and New Zealanders who were training as pilots and navigators in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Initially the young men, who were on final leave, headed for Nola’s apartment. But, it soon became clear that she needed bigger premises. Within months she had secured the free lease of a room in the Phi Gamma Delta Clubhouse, on West 56th Street. This was the beginning of the ANZAC Club. So popular was it that Nola, with her team of 100 mainly women volunteers, worked 15 hour days to ensure each serviceman had a memorable visit to the city. By wars end some 35,000 men had enjoyed the clubs hospitality. ​
The club was popular with the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Gertrude Lawrence, Gracie Fields and the forces sweetheart, Vera Lynn. New York media soon took to calling Nola the “Angel of the Anzacs”. In 1947 Nola was recognised for her war work and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and received the American Award of Merit.
Nola became fashion director for the exclusive Hotel Pierre in New York. Here she organised international society fashion events raising considerable funds for charity. In 1959 she married Glenn Russell Dolberg, the KFI radio manager who had hired her to broadcast the 1932 Olympics. She retired to Los Angeles but still kept active in local community affairs.
Nola Luxford passed away on 10th October 1994 aged 99. In way of a testament to her resolve, the ANZAC Garden on the British Empire Building, continues to hold annual ANZAC commemorations over eight decades since they were dedicated.
Above, wartime ANZAC commemorations and below, during peacetime
Nola Luxford OBE OSO in the ANZAC Garden 1960
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Thanks to her, we now have another fascinating fact about Ralph. And, although he had left the United States some 5 years prior to the establishment of the ANZAC Garden, we would like to think that the connection goes deeper with both Ralph and Muriel and their two sons, Bramley and Denys who served during World War Two, and of the sacrifices made by families from all-over what was the British Empire, and the wider world in defending us from our enemies.
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We gratefully acknowledge the National Library of New Zealand for the use of the images of Nola Luxford.